Casino table game monitoring system

ABSTRACT

A networked casino game rules violation alert system that captures game data from numerous game security systems/devices in real time, integrates the data, and compiles the integrated data. The system interprets the compiled data, associates the interpreted data with game rules, analyzes and compares the data to determine if there have been invalid actions (i.e., cheating by the player and/or dealer), detects any game anomalies, categorizes the anomalies, generates alerts based on the anomalies and the priority assigned to the anomaly, and dispatches alerts to various systems and alert mechanisms linked to the network. The system can also be used to collect game statistics, per player and dealer, and can determine and respond to historical anomalies as deemed appropriate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to concurrently filed applicationsbearing the attorney docket numbers [PA1735.ap.US, PA1701.ap.US andPA1700.ap.US]. The specifications of these applications are incorporatedby reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to an automated securitymonitoring system for a casino table game such as e.g., baccarat andblackjack, and more particularly to an automated security monitoringsystem that can capture game data, detect anomalies, generate alerts,and dispatch alerts to various data sinks and electronic devices in realtime.

2. Background of the Art

Security within a casino is focused upon a number of different areas ofconcern. Those areas include, among others, counterfeiting of currencyor tokens, counterfeiting of gaming implements (cards or dice),artificial manipulation of gaming implements (marking cards, weightingdice, weighting roulette wheels or balls, etc.), altering bet amounts orbet types during play, switching cards between players, dealerconspiracy with players, and wagering based upon a degree ofintelligence of foreknowledge of cards in play. Each of these differentissues requires distinct attention and different implementation ofsecurity to be able to control crimes being committed against thecasino. The use of totally mechanical or totally electronic gamingsystems tends to eliminate the majority of these potential issues, butgame players tend to play as much for the social interaction of livegames with live players and dealers as they do for the enjoyment of gameplay. It is therefore necessary for systems, methods and apparatus to bedeveloped that can assist in reducing the potential for these criminalactions being taken at casinos without destroying the live ambiance of acasino table game.

One particular casino table game that would benefit from monitoring isbaccarat. Baccarat is often a high stakes game. In addition, players maytouch the cards during play. Thus, there is a particular need to monitorthe game of baccarat. The basic play of the casino table card game ofbaccarat is relatively simple and relatively inflexible. The player mayfeel comfortable relying solely upon the luck of the draw or his/her ownluck in playing the game, as opposed to feeling that, as in some othercasino games, there is a level of skill needed that is intimidating tothe player. Those rules are summarized below.

Baccarat or “Punto Banco” is usually played in a separate casino area.The playing table is about the size of a craps table with three casinodealers and up to 12 or 14 players. FIG. 1 shows a portion of aconventional casino table 10 suitable for playing baccarat. The table 10includes a card shoe 12, player hand positions 14, 16, banker handpositions 18, 20 and three player wagering positions 22, 24, 26. Eachplayer wagering position 22, 24, 26 includes a position P for wageringon the player hand (comprising cards dealt to the player hand positions14, 16), a position B for wagering on the banker hand (comprising cardsdealt to the player hand positions 14, 16) and a position T for wageringthat there will be a tie (also known as a standoff) between the playerand banker hands.

Baccarat is typically played from a six-deck or an eight-deck card shoe12. All face cards and tens have no value. Cards less than ten arecounted at face value, Aces are worth 1. Suits do not matter. Onlysingle digit values are valid. Any count that reaches a double digitvalue drops the left-most digit. For example, a 15 is counted as 5 whilea total of 25 is also counted as 5. The object of the game is to bet onthe hand that you think will have the highest total value. The goal ofthe game is to obtain a hand value of 8 or 9.

Some casinos let the players deal the cards in turn and others have acasino dealer deal the cards. Each player, including the player dealing(sometimes referred to as the banker), may place a bet on the player,also known as Punto, by placing at least one casino chip on wageringposition P, the banker, also known as Banco, by placing at least onecasino chip on wagering position B, or a tie/standoff by placing atleast one casino chip on wagering position T. It is customary, but notrequired, for the player dealing the game to bet on the banker hand.Players may opt not to deal, passing the shoe 12 to the next player. Theshoe 12 remains with one player as long as the bank wins. If the playerhand wins, the shoe 12 passes on to the next player.

The player's bets are made before any one of the cards in either hand isdisplayed. The betting in baccarat is similar to betting on black or redat a roulette table, and the payoff is even money (i.e., 1:1), exceptfor a tie, which typically pays out at 8:1 or 9:1. The only differencebetween the banker bet (B) and the player bet (P) is that a winningbanker bet will cost the player a commission or tax levied by thecasino, since it is known that the odds favor the banker hand.

Each hand consists of a minimum of two and a maximum of three cards. Theperson dealing will deal two cards, face down, and will deal to theplayer with the largest bet on the player hand the other two cards, facedown. The player with the largest player bet looks at the cards andgives them back to the player/dealer. Then, the player who is dealingwill turn over the cards of both hands while one of the casino dealersannounces the results and the winner. If either hand has a total of 8 or9 (nine is the highest), known in the art as a “natural,” no more cardsare dealt. If there are no naturals, then depending on the value of eachhand the casino dealer may instruct the card player/dealer to deal athird card. The decision of when to deal a third card follows preciserules used by all casinos and are summarized below. Once dealing iscompleted, the hand with the highest count (9 being the highest possiblecount, with first digits in two-digit totals being dropped e.g., an 18becoming a count of 8) wins. The casino's dealer will collect the losingbets first and then pay out the winning ones.

As stated above, once the two cards in the player/banker hands have beenuncovered, the rules of baccarat will dictate whether a third must bedealt to the player and/or the banker based on the following“three-card” rules. In practice, it is not necessary for the players tolearn these rules to play the game, as the rules are compulsory andautomatically enforced. Starting with the player's hand total, if theplayer's hand total is less than or equal to 5, the player's hand drawsa third card. If the player's hand does not draw a third card, then thebanker's hand stands on a 6 or more, but takes a third card on a totalof 5 or less. If the player's hand takes a third card, then thefollowing banker's hand third-card-rules determine if the banker's handtakes a third card.

If the banker's hand is a 2 or less, then banker's hand draws a thirdcard. If the banker's hand totals to a 3, then the banker's hand draws athird card unless the player's hand third card was an 8. If the banker'shand total is 4, then the banker's hand draws a third card unless theplayer's hand third card is a 0, 1, 8, or 9. If the banker's hand totalis 5, then the banker's hand draws a third card if the player's handthird card is a 4, 5, 6, or 7. If the banker's hand total is 6, then thebanker's hand draws a third card if the player's hand third card is a 6or 7. If the banker's hand total is 7, then the banker stands.

As is apparent, there are many security concerns with a hands-on gamesuch as baccarat. These concerns include a phenomenon known as “firstcard cheating,” which is a statistical method of cheating allowing aplayer to alter his/her betting based on the player's impermissibleknowledge of the first card to-be-dealt by the dealer. The theory behindfirst card cheating is described in U.S. application Ser. No.11/394,055, filed on Mar. 29, 2006, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety. Other concerns associated with baccarat, aswell as other casino table games, include: pinching and/or capping ofbets, card switching, and card reversal.

Pinching is the illegal act of removing chips that were wagered from theplayer's bet after a round/game has begun. Capping is the illegal act ofadding chips to those previously wagered from the player's bet after theround has begun. These acts are respectively designed to reduce theamount of money the casino receives (on player losing bets) or increasethe amount of money the casino pays out (on player winning bets). Cardswitching is the act of switching out cards that were dealt from theshoe with other cards in order to modify one or both of the dealt hands.Card reversal is a special case of card switching, which is the act ofmoving cards that have been dealt to different areas of the table, whichresults in modifying the dealt hands. The acts are designed to influencethe outcome of the game in a manner beneficial to the cheater(s).

Moreover, the casino must also look out for discrepancies in the casinotable's chip trays and its payouts of winning bets. That is, the casinomust be aware of the chips at the table and must also be aware of anydiscrepancies between expected payouts and actual payouts.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of a casino table 10′ suitable for playingblackjack. The table 10′ includes a card shoe 12, chip rack 13, gameindicia 15 and a plurality of player wagering positions 17, 19, 21, 23,25, 27, 29. In FIG. 2, the indicia 15 is an inscription for an“insurance” bet, which is a unique wagering feature of the game ofblackjack (described below). Other indicia 15 could include pay-outodds, house rules and/or the rules of the game.

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games. Unlike baccarat,blackjack requires some level of skill and game decisions in order to besuccessful. The object of blackjack is to obtain a card hand with a ranknumerical value of twenty-one. All face cards (i.e., kings, queens andjacks) have a rank value of ten. Aces can have a value of one or eleven,depending on the value needed by the player/dealer (as dictated by theother cards in the hand). The remaining cards retain their rank values(i.e., a 2 has a value of two, 3 has a value of three, etc.). The cardsuits do not matter in blackjack.

After the players place their wagers, the dealer deals two cards to eachplayer. The dealer also deals herself two cards. All player cards aredealt face down. The dealer's hand, however, includes one card dealtface up (i.e., the “up card”) and the second card dealt face down (i.e.,the “hole” card). Typically, the last card dealt is the down card. Theobject of the game is to beat the dealer's hand with a hand having avalue of twenty-one, or as close to twenty-one as possible withoutbusting. After the players view their hands and the dealer's up card,each player may decide to draw an extra card (i.e., a “hit”) to bringher total closer to twenty-one. A skilled player uses the odds to decidewhether to “hit” or “stand” (i.e., not receive additional cards) basedon the present information about her cards and the dealer's up card.There is no limit to the number of hits a player can take as long as theplayer's hand total does not exceed twenty-one. On rare occasions, theplayer may take five hit cards without busting. This event is known as“Seven Card Charlie” and is often awarded a bonus payout.

A hand total that exceeds twenty-one is known as a bust. Players thatbust are out of the game, must reveal all of their cards and indicate tothe dealer that they busted. The dealer removes the player's cards andthe player's wagers are forfeited to the house. At any point during thegame, the players may decide not to be dealt any more additional cardsand hope that their hand total will exceed the dealer's hand total, orhope that the dealer busts out of the game. After all the players havefinished making their game decisions, the dealer reveals the hole cardand plays out its hand. House rules may require the dealer to hit untilits hand reaches at least seventeen, regardless of what the playershave.

In blackjack, there is a special event when players are offered anoption to purchase “insurance”. Insurance is a separate wager designedto protect the player from losing her initial wager when the dealer isdealt a twenty-one (i.e., blackjack). When the dealer's up card is anAce, the players are offered an opportunity to place an insurance wager.The amount of the insurance wager may be up to one half of the player'sinitial wager. For example, if a player's initial wager was $10, thenthat player may make a $5 insurance wager. The insurance bet istypically placed on the insurance indicia 15 on the table 10′. Thepurpose of the insurance bet is to allow players to “protect” theirinitial wager when the dealer's odds of reaching a twenty-one are highsuch as in the case when the dealer is showing an Ace.

After a player responds to the offer to place an insurance bet, thedealer peeks at her hole card to determine if the dealer's hand is atwenty-one (i.e., blackjack). This is a mandatory procedure. If thedealer's hole card has a rank value of ten, then the player that placedan insurance bet, wins the insurance bet, but loses the initial wager.If the player's insurance bet was one half the initial wager, theplayer's insurance bet, which pays off at 2:1 odds, essentially returnsthe players initial wager. If, however, the dealer's hole card does nothave a rank value of ten, the player loses the insurance bet, but theplayer remains in the game in a pursuit of wining the initial bet. Ascan be appreciated, during the dealer's peeking of the hole card, thedealer can inadvertently or intentionally reveal the rank of the holecard. Insurance betting also provides the players with an opportunity toillegally change wagers or cards when the dealer is not looking.

The game of blackjack has other wagering and dealing scenarios as isknown in the art. These scenarios include a “double down” wager or“split” of the player's hand. Double down allows the player to doubleits initial wager at the cost of receiving only one more card from thedealer. Splitting of a hand allows the player to double its wager, butto use each initial card as a first card in what becomes two new hands.Splitting is only available when the initial cards have the same value.House rules may place restrictions on when a player may double down orsplit. The scenarios also provide the players with opportunities toillegally change wagers or swap cards.

There are many security issues in high stakes games with rules thatpermit players to touch/handle the cards that eventually determine theoutcome of the wagers placed by the players. Likewise, there are manysecurity issues in games in which multiple cards may be dealt andmultiple wagers may be made during the course of the game. Today, thereare many types of surveillance systems available, but these systemsrequire vast amounts of manpower to implement. These systems typicallyrely on overhead video cameras and security personnel to view the videoon numerous monitors. Other systems utilize radio frequency identifiers(RFID) in casino chips to determine the value of chips wagered during agame. Card shoes can be equipped with image sensors to determine thecard dealt from the shoe. All of these systems also require personnel towalk the casino floor and investigate matters in person, rather than onvideo.

An example of a surveillance system for the casino game of blackjack isdescribed in patent application publication 2005/0272501 (the “'0272501publication”), which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety. The '0272501 publication discloses a video system and imageprocessing method for monitoring players in a game of blackjack. Videoimage data is generally retrieved through a series of cameras thatcapture images of game play from different angles. The cameras or acomputer system can have an engine for processing the images into data.The system extracts player and game data, and processes the data todetermine game events (i.e., a card being dealt, player placing a bet,etc.). The video images are processed and presented to securitypersonnel to aid in game security and to track player/dealer progressand history.

Conventional security systems, however, are not equipped to handle allof the above potential cheating mechanisms, which are particularlytroublesome for the games of baccarat and blackjack. Moreover, there isno system that exists today that can capture and analyze game data inreal time and also react to anomalies when need (i.e., issue alerts) inreal time.

Accordingly, there is a need and desire for an automated dataacquisition and security system that can capture game data, detectanomalies, generate an alert, and dispatch the alert to various sourceand electronic devices in real time. Moreover, there is a desire for anetworked alert system that is integrated with an automated game datatracking system capable of associating compiled data from an image datasystem and associating integrated peripheral systems with the rules ofbaccarat and/or blackjack. It is also desirable that the system iscapable of detecting game anomalies, interpreting the anomalies,correlating the anomalies, categorizing the anomalies, generating analert relative to an anomaly's level of security infringement, anddispatching the alert to various remote computer systems linked to anetwork as well as wired and wireless communication devices.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide novel combinations of dataacquisition equipment and a networked casino game rules violation alertsystem that captures game data from numerous game securitysystems/devices in real time, integrates the data, and compiles theintegrated data. The system interprets the compiled data, associates theinterpreted data with game rules, analyzes and compares the data todetect invalid actions (i.e., cheating by the player and/or dealer),detects any game anomalies, categorizes the anomalies, generates alertsbased on the anomalies and the priority assigned to the anomaly, anddispatches alerts to various systems and alert mechanisms linked to thenetwork. The system can also be used to collect game statistics, perplayer and dealer, and can determine and respond to historical anomaliesas deemed appropriate.

In one example embodiment, the system is used to monitor a game ofbaccarat at a baccarat table. In yet another example embodiment, thesystem is used to monitor a game of blackjack at a blackjack table.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional baccarat table.

FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional blackjack table.

FIG. 3 illustrates a monitoring system used to monitor gaming at acasino table such as a blackjack table.

FIG. 4 illustrates an integrated monitoring system used to monitorgaming at a baccarat table in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate processing performed by the system illustrated inFIG. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an integrated monitoring system used to monitorgaming at a blackjack table in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 3 illustrates a surveillance system 40 suitable for monitoring agame of blackjack. In system 40, a blackjack table 10′ is equipped witha card shoe 12 and chip rack 13 as described above. The system 40 alsoincludes overhead cameras 44, 46 connected to a ceiling 70 of thecasino, and other cameras 42, 48 either mounted to or in the vicinity ofthe table 10′. These cameras 42, 44, 46, 48 communicate with a computersystem 50 that is responsible for image processing (if necessary) andautomatically monitoring game play by gathering table data. Dealt cardvalues and table activity can be verified using this system 50.Typically, the components of the system 40 are connected to each otherby one gigabyte/sec network cabling 52, 54.

As an optional feature, a form of chip recognition may also beimplemented into the system 40 using the cameras 42, 44, 46, 48 andevaluation software in the computer system 50. As such, the computersystem 50 should be able to process chip images and values on the gamingtable 10′. The imaging system (either in the cameras 42, 44, 46, 48 orthe computer system 50) requires at least ten clean frames a second toprovide the system 40 with the optimal number of images. The number ofpixels in an image translates to the identity of an object. Theinformation is transmitted to a local processor equipped with an opticalrecognition circuit/integrated circuit chip to speed up the pixeltranslation. Image processing software continues the pixel translation.The pixel density/mass is analyzed and compared to stored pixeldensities and stored relative shape data in the system 50. The softwaredetects relative features and performs a shape comparison analysis. Thesystem 50 utilizes a coordinate system to locate the objects anddetermine the proper identification of the object. The system 50 alsohas programmed table coordinates that give the probable location of aspecific object on the table 10′ and the object's relative shapeaccording to pixel density. The new object's analysis information andcoordinates are compared with the stored data and identification of theobject is confirmed. The software is sophisticated enough to recognizethe rank and suit of playing cards, recognize monetary denominations,and the relative value of chips based on color or black and white.

As can been seen, the cameras 42, 44, 46, 48 are placed to achieve afull view of the gaming table surface, and are positioned to give thebest vantage point for the desired application. The cameras 42, 44, 46,48 can be mounted to the ceiling 70 or on a pole/post adjacent the table10′. Every image is analyzed to determine if it contains an expectedobject or game event. An example of such as system for the casino gameof blackjack is described in patent application publication2005/0272501.

The typical operation of the FIG. 3 system is as follows. The cameras42, 44, 46, 48 and image acquisition systems are activated. An image orimages are captured and the pixels in the digitized data are analyzed.Objects are identified, indexed, and compared with stored relative shapeindexes. The location of the object is determined by calculating theobject's coordinates on the gaming surface. The coordinates and shape ofthe object are compared with the stored data to confirm the objectslocation on the table, and to verify that an object of that pixeldensity and relative shape is normally present at the determinedcoordinates. The rank and suit of cards positioned face up on the gamingtable will be determined. Information is transmitted via communicationlinks to the computer system 50 to see if the rules of the game havebeen followed. A security decision must be made by security personnel.As described earlier, it is desirable to obtain more automatedinformation and to process and react to the information in real time.

FIG. 4 illustrates an integrated monitoring system 100 used to monitorgaming activities at a baccarat table 110 in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. The system 100 contains many componentsdesigned to capture various forms of information about the game beingplayed at the table 110 (e.g., baccarat), the players playing the game,wager amounts and payouts, and the dealer responsible for the game. Asis described below in more detail, the information is captured,processed and acted upon (e.g., generation of alerts) in real time.

In system 100, the baccarat table 110 is equipped with a card shoe 112providing card rank and suit recognition capabilities. That is, the shoe112 contains optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities (or otherways for determine card rank and suit such as e.g., barcode reader toread barcodes on the cards in the shoe 112) to determine the rank andsuit of each card dealt from the shoe. In addition, in a preferredembodiment, the card shoe 112 also contains a baccarat rules module (notshown), which allows the shoe 112 to determine the outcome of the gamebased on the cards dealt out of the shoe 112. One known device that maybe used as the shoe 112 is the Shuffle Master, Inc. iShoe™ intelligentshoe device. Other examples of devices that are suitable for use as shoe112 are described in patent application publication 2005/0242500 (U.S.application Ser. No. 11/152,475, filed on Jun. 13, 2005), U.S.application Ser. No. 10/915,914, filed Aug. 10, 2004, and U.S. Pat. No.7,029,009, which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties.

The card shoe 112 is in two-way communication with a system tablemanager 180 (described in more detail below), and transmits the cardshoe information and expected game results over a communication medium113 to the system table manager 180, which inputs and processes the cardshoe 112 information to determine if there have been any anomaliesduring a round of the game (described below in more detail). The medium113 may be a wireless or wired network communication medium. The cardshoe 112, e.g., the iShoe™, may also include a display region to providedealer instruction and game results to the dealer. The shoe 112 may alsoinclude a dealer interface such that the dealer may reset the shoe 112,call for information and initiate a new round of play.

Also shown on the table 110 are game chip wagering areas in the playerspecific wagering areas 22, 24, 26. In a preferred embodiment of theinvention, RFID tagged chips 130 a are used in conjunction with RFIDantennas/transmitters 162, 164, 166 located within or underneath thetable 110. The RFID antennas/transmitters 162, 164, 166 respectivelypick up the values of the game chips 130 a using RFID or similartechnology and then transmit the chip information to the system tablemanager 180 via a communication medium 168. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,651,548 and5,735,742 describe RFID chips and chip reading systems that may be usedin connection with game chip areas and game chips 130 a and RFIDantennas/transmitters 162, 164, 166. Although the illustrated systemshows one antenna per player position, in another embodiment, separateantennas are provided to distinguish between player, banker and thebets. In the illustrated system, proximity sensors (not shown) at wagerpositions (B, P, T) are used to distinguish between wagers within asingle antenna.

The medium 168 may be a wireless or wired network communication medium.As is described below in more detail, the system table manager 180 willuse the chip information to determine the presence of and the amountswagered by the players before and after the round (to see if there hasbeen capping or pinching of bets) and may also use the chip informationto determine if there have been any payouts anomalies at the end of theround. As can be appreciated, it is desirable to combine the a cardreading shoe 112 and RFID chip sensing system at the same table as thesecomponents of the system can be used to track the status of the game,invalid player/dealer actions and payouts in a fast and reliable realtime manner. Alerts can be sent right to the table via the shoe withoutthe aid of any security personnel.

The system 100 also includes overhead cameras 44, 46 connected to aceiling 70 of the casino, and at least one other camera 42 eithermounted to or in the vicinity of the table 110. These cameras 42, 44, 46respectively communicate with a video interface 170 over communicationmedia 158, 156, 154 (via video switch or multiplexer 179). The cameras42, 44, 46 may also communicate with a surveillance computer system 150over a communication medium 152 and a plasma screen/monitor 177 (viavideo switch or multiplexer 179) so that the video may be monitored bycasino or security personnel. It should be appreciated that althoughonly one connection to the surveillance computer system 150 from thecameras 42, 44, 46 is shown, video from all of the cameras may be sentto the system 150 if desired. As with the other communication media usedin the system 100, the communication media 152, 154, 156, 158 may bewired, wireless or a combination of wireless and wired connections.

The video interface 170 (e.g., a computer system) is responsible forimage processing, interpretation of game state, and transmission of theitems viewed by the cameras 42, 44, 46 in real time. Dealt card values,wagers and other table activity can be imaged using the cameras 42, 44,46 and video interface 170. The video interface 170 may be implementedin a general purpose computer system, a network server or otherprocessor system as is generally known in the art.

As an optional feature, a form of optical chip recognition may also beimplemented using the cameras 42, 44, 46 and evaluation software in thevideo interface 170. The system is best equipped to detect the presenceof a wager, but if cameras are positioned proximate the gaming table, itis possible to extract wager amount data also. As such, the videointerface 170 may process chip images and values on the gaming table110. The video interface 170 processes the video images to create tabledata that is sent to the system table manager 180. The video interface170 is sophisticated enough to recognize the rank and suit of playingcards, recognize monetary denominations, and the relative value of thechips. In one example, the video interface 170 does not contain anylogic or game rule software and cannot evaluate whether there have beenany anomalies. In another example embodiment, the video interfacecontains game rules. In the illustrated embodiment, the determination ofanomalies is performed by the system table manager 180 (described inmore detail below). It should be appreciated that using video imagingfor object sensing and RFID information for value sensing of wagers ismore reliable then using either technique alone. Moreover, the overlapin information provides inherent redundancy to the system.

As can been seen, the cameras 42, 44, 46 are placed to achieve a fullview of the gaming table surface, and are positioned to give the bestvantage point for the desired application. The cameras 42, 44, 46 can bemounted to the ceiling 70 or on a pole/post adjacent or on the table110. An optical or magnetic synchronizing sensor 33 can be used todetect the presence of an object on the gaming surface of the table 110.The sensor, if used, may activate the cameras 42, 44, 46 and triggerimage acquisition. Every image is processed and extracted data istransmitted to the system table manager 180.

The remainder of the system 100 comprises a network 101 of componentsthat may be at the gaming table or in a back office or other room of thecasino. Part of this network 101 is the video interface 170 describedabove, the other parts of the network include the table manager 180, acentral server 190, and the surveillance system 150. Optional componentsof the network 101 may also include a baccarat tracker 185 and/or agames management system 175. The components of the network 101 may beconnected by wireless and/or wired communication media.

The system table manager 180 may be implemented in a general purposecomputer system, a network server or other processor system as isgenerally known in the art. The table manager 180 will contain computerimplemented processing (i.e., process 200 illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5C)that may be stored on a computer readable medium of the general purposecomputer system. As such, the processing and functions of the tablemanager 180 may be stored as a computer program on a computer readablemedium, or downloaded from a computer server over a network to thegeneral purpose computer. The table manager 180 will receive the realtime card and game data from the card shoe 112 over the wired/wirelesscommunication medium 113. The table manager 180 will receive the realtime chip data from antennas 162, 164, 166 over the wired/wirelesscommunication medium 168. The table manager 180 will also receive thecard, chip and other data from the video interface 170 over the networkconnection between the table manager 180 and video interface 170. Itshould be appreciated that the combination of video, card shoe and RFIDinformation makes the system more robust and error proof. Overlap ininformation (e.g., wager values or card data) provides inherentredundancy not found in prior systems. In addition, the use of optionalsensor 33 provides another means to initiate security measures and beginmonitoring of activities at a table.

As is described below in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5A-5C, thetable manager 180 contains deviation analysis software that integratesthe various forms of input data, compiles, interprets and associates thedata with known anomaly references or specific conditions that equate tobaccarat game rule violations. The table manager 180 analyzes andcompares the data to determine whether valid or invalid actions haveoccurred during and after a round of the game, detects and categorizesany anomalies, and generates alerts. The anomalies can be prioritized.Because some of the data may overlap (e.g., card rank and suit data maybe obtained from the shoe 112 and the video data, wager data may beobtained from the RFID information and the video data), the tablemanager 180 has redundancy. This way, if one of the sources ofinformation is malfunctioning or if it misses a card, chip, etc., thetable manager 180 can still detect anomalies. The redundancy of thesystem also allows the operator to detect changes in the number of cardscard composition, wager placement, etc. and provides the means toperform security checks unknown and unachievable prior to thisinvention. Alerts are generated and distributed by the table manager 180to the central server 190. In one embodiment, the table manager 180 cansend the alerts to the games management system 175, if included in thesystem 100. In another embodiment, the alerts are sent to both thecentral server 190 and the games management system 175. The tablemanager 180 operates in real time, something the prior art securitymonitoring systems could not do.

In one embodiment, the table manager 180 tags game deviations/anomalieswith one of five sequential priority levels illustrated in Table Ibelow. The levels are used to determine what type of alert to generate.The table manager 180 is capable of detecting pinching and/or capping ofbets, card switching, and card reversal, as well as discrepancies in thecasino table's chip trays and its payouts of winning bets. All of theseanomalies, as well as others, may be assigned to any one of the levelsillustrated in Table I. In a desired embodiment, the casino personnelcan set the priority levels for all of the anomalies through a userinterface (not shown) to the table manager 180 or through a connectionto the network 101 (e.g., system 150). Alerts may be ranked numerically,color coded, associated with unique sounds or otherwise configured toattract the appropriate response from pit personnel.

TABLE I Alert Priority Index Priority Level Description 1 Lowest level.Basic deviation alert regarding an action that has little or nopotential for influencing a game outcome. 2 Alert regarding an actionthat warrants the attention of pit personnel. 3 Alert regarding anaction that warrants the attention of pit and surveillance personnel. 4Alert regarding an action that warrants the attention of pit andsurveillance personnel and an immediate investigation by supervisors. 5Highest level. Gross deviation alert regarding an action with a crisisstatus. The anomaly warrants an immediate “stop game” alert dispatchedto all wired and wireless devices of the security network.

The central server 190 is connected to the table manager 180. Thecentral server 190 may be implemented in a general purpose computersystem, a network server or other processor system as is generally knownin the art. Although shown as separate components, in one embodiment,the table manager 180 is implemented as an application on the centralserver 190. That is, the functions of the table manager 180 and thecentral server 190 may reside in one piece of hardware (e.g., a serveror computer system). The central server 190 is responsible fordistributing the prioritized alerts throughout the network 101 andoutside the network (if desired) over wired or wireless communicationspath 192. The alerts are routed to various data sinks (i.e.,destinations) based on the alert priority. The higher the priority, thegreater number of data sinks the alert information is routed to. Alerttransmissions may be routed directly to the table 110 (viacommunications path 192 to a device at the table or on the dealer),across the network 101 to remote viewing stations (e.g., system 150),databases, and any wired/wireless communication device that communicateswith the network 101. In one embodiment, the shoe 112 contains adisplay, speaker or other alert notification device and an optionalcommunication path 113 a from the table manager 180 to the shoe is usedto transmit an alert to the table via the shoe 112. One such suitableshoe having an alert notification mechanism and two way communicationswith a table manager 180 is disclosed in application serial no.(reference PA1735.AP.us), filed on the same date as the presentapplication, which is incorporated by reference herein. In oneembodiment, the alert information can be projected onto one or moreplasma televisions/monitors/screens 177 used to view image data from thecameras 42, 44, 46 and the video interface 170. The central server 190stores relevant gaming information (both real time and historicalinformation). The central server 190 may also process alert informationreceived from the table manager 180 if needed. The central server 190can email or otherwise transmit any relevant information or reportsusing communications path 192 or any connection to the network 101. Thecentral server 190 may generate and distribute reports based on theinformation received from the table manager 180.

In a preferred embodiment, the central server 190 may interface with anddrive the baccarat tracker 185. The baccarat tracker 185 is astatistical-based system that sequences through a live game of baccarat(based on the data received from the central server 190) to processactions taken during the round and over numerous rounds. The tracker 185is capable of compiling the data to statistically determine anomaliesthat can only be detected by a players betting habits using a largersample set of data and typically occurs over a time period. One suchanomaly that may be detected is first card cheating, described in U.S.application Ser. No. 11/394,055, filed on Mar. 29, 2006. The baccarattracker 185 may use the processing described in U.S. application Ser.No. 11/394,055. It should also be appreciated that the baccarat tracker185 may be implemented as part of the central server 190, thusalleviating the need for an additional server/computer system dedicatedsolely to the baccarat tracking functions. It is advantageous to locatethe baccarat tracker 185 near the source of the stored data.

In another embodiment, alerts are dispatched to a games managementsystem 175. The games management system 175 is a touch screen tablegames application allowing for additional real time bet tracking, clearviews of the dealer rack count, quick assessment of wins and losses ateach table. The information can be used to determine if a gambler'sgambling habits are worthy of a free room for the evening (known ascomping). A system suitable for use as the games management system 175is the Table Touch™ product sold by IGT. The games management system 175includes an intelligent alert package, which alerts pit personnel andsurveillance teams using a color coded alert system corresponding toalert priority levels. The system management system 175 may alsodispatch the alerts across the network 101 to remote viewing stations(e.g., system 150), databases, and any wired/wireless communicationdevice that communicates with the network 101. Player profiling is alsoincluded in the games management system 175 so that specific player betattributes may be recorded and tracked. The games management system 175allows pit personnel more time to do their jobs without being tied to acumbersome data entry system.

Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, the flowcharts illustrate processing 200performed by the table manager 180. As mentioned above, the process 200may be a computer implemented method that runs on a general purposecomputer. As such, the process 200 may be stored as a computer programon a computer readable storage medium and/or downloaded to a computerover the network 101. At step 202, the table manager 180 inputs/collectsgame/table information from a predetermined source or sources within thesystem 100. This initial game state information (described below) isused to determine if a new game or round of a game of baccarat isbeginning (step 204). Since the initial game state information is onlybeing used for this limited purpose, only one of the sources of gamestate and game data (e.g., video data from the cameras 42, 44, 46,signals from the shoe 112, signal from the antennas 162, 164, 166) needbe used.

In one embodiment, the initial game state information is received fromthe shoe 112 after the dealer presses a new game key or otherwiseinitiates a new game at the shoe 112 (e.g., resets a game completionmessage, deals a new card, etc.). In other examples, the shoe includes atime-out circuit that automatically detects the beginning and end ofeach round. Other methods of round counting are known in the art andcould be used as an additional data source. The shoe 112 has a gamesrule module and is capable of setting a game state to a new game stateand transmitting this information to the table manager 180. In response,the shoe 112 transmits data to the table manager 180 indicating thestart of a new game. In another embodiment, video information from thecameras 42, 44, 46 and the video interface 170 can be used to indicate anew game state corresponding to a new game (i.e., the dealing of the newcards or the placement of new bets at the table 110). In anotherembodiment, RFID chip data (i.e., initial wager) or a combination ofdata from one or more of the sources is used. In another embodiment, thesensor 33 can be used to determine the dealing of a new hand or theplacement of new wagers.

At step 204, the table manager 180 determines if a new game has beenstarted. If not, then there is an error or other anomaly, which isprocessed and reported across the network 101 (if necessary based on thepriority level assigned to this “false start” of the game). If at step204, the table manager 180 determines that a new game has been started,the table manager 180 collects game/table data from all sources (step206) i.e., the video interface 170, antennas 162, 164, 166, and cardshoe 112. At step 208, the table manager 180 makes a series of realtime, game in progress (i.e., in-game) comparisons/investigations of theinput data. Non-limiting examples of these comparisons include acomparison of: (1) game state versus player/dealer actions; (2) cards onthe table versus the cards dealt; (3) cards positions on table versusthe position on the table when dealt; and (4) the values of chipswagered versus the value of the chips on table (and on a per playerbasis).

EXAMPLE 1 Misdeal

For example, for the comparison of game state versus player/dealeractions, the process 200 determines if a third card has been dealt toone or both of the player and banker positions at the table. The process200 then determines, using the baccarat third card rules whether thedealer should have dealt the third card or not. If the dealer has dealta third card to a position in which the rules dictate that a card shouldnot have been dealt, then an anomaly has be found. Likewise, the process200 determines if a third card has not been dealt to the player andbanker positions at the table. The process 200 then determines, usingthe baccarat third card rules whether the dealer should have dealt thethird card or not. If the dealer has not dealt a third card to aposition in which the rules dictate that a card should have been dealt,then an anomaly has be found.

EXAMPLE 2 Card Switching

A comparison of the cards dealt versus the cards currently at the table(e.g., via displayed or processed video information) can be used todetermine if there has been card switching. In a desired embodiment,there will be dealt card information from both the shoe 1 12 and thevideo interface 170. This provides built-in error processing andredundancy that is not achievable in prior art systems. The process 200determines whether the cards that were dealt are in different positions.If any of the cards are out of position, then an anomaly has be found.

EXAMPLE 3 Capping/Pinching

Capping and/or pinching can be determined by comparing initial wagerinformation to current wager information. The information can bedetermined solely from the RFID information. In another embodiment, thewager information can be determined through video images via the videointerface 170 in addition to, or instead of the RFID information. Usingmore than one mechanism is always preferred, however. As with the othercomparisons, anomalies may be determined when any current wager amountsdo not match initial wager amounts.

EXAMPLE 4 Bet Moved from P to B Positions (or vice versa)

Movement of player wagers between the B and P positions (and T whenwagered) can be monitored by comparing the wager information containedin the video images (via the video interface 170) with the wagerinformation contained in the RFID information. The wager amounts arestill the same, but they have been moved. This is a unique situationthat may be monitored by the illustrated embodiment of the inventionwhich uses two systems to determine if there is an anomaly in thewagering areas.

EXAMPLE 5 New Card Added

The process 200 makes a comparison of the cards dealt versus the cardscurrently at the table (e.g., via displayed or processed videoinformation). In a desired embodiment, there will be dealt cardinformation from both the shoe 112 and the video interface 170. Thisprovides built-in error processing and redundancy that is not achievablein prior art systems. The process 200 determines whether there are newcards on the table that were not dealt from the shoe. If any of thecards on the table do not match the cards that were dealt, then ananomaly has be found. This is another unique situation that may bemonitored by the illustrated embodiment of the invention, which uses twosystems to determine if cards have been added/removed from the table.

At step 210, the table manager 180 determines from the various real timecomparisons, whether there is an anomaly. The table manager 180 can alsodetermine if there have been any invalid actions, by the player ordealer, based on the state of the game at that time. One non-limitingexample includes late wagering. If the table manager 180 determines fromthe various real time comparisons that there was at least one anomaly,then the process 200 continues at step 240 (FIG. 5C) for anomalyprocessing (described below).

If the table manager 180 determines from the various real timecomparisons that there was no anomaly, then the process 200 continues atstep 212 where the table manager 180 determines if the round has beencompleted. If the round has not been completed, the process 200continues at step 206 for further real time, in-game processing of thegame/table information from the numerous data sources in the system 100.If, at step 212, the table manager determines that the round has beencompleted, the process 200 continues at step 214 where the table manager180 collects game/table data from all of the sources in the system 100.

At step 214, after a round of the game has ended, the table manager 180makes a series of real time, post game comparisons/investigations of theinput data. Some of these non-limiting comparisons include a comparisonof: (1) cards on the table versus the cards dealt; (2) cards positionson table versus the position on the table when dealt; (3) the values ofchips wagered versus the value of the chips on table (and on a perplayer basis); and (4) the amount and values of the chips paid outversus any expected payouts. At step 218, the table manager 180determines from the various real time comparisons, whether there is ananomaly. For example, the table manager 180 can determine if there hasbeen any capping or pinching of bets, or if there has been any cardreversal or card switching. The table manager 180 can also determine ifthere are any deviations in individual or total player payouts. If thetable manager 180 determines from the various real time comparisons thatthere was at least one anomaly, then the process 200 continues at step240 for anomaly processing (described below).

If the table manager 180 determines from the various real timecomparisons that there was no anomaly, then the process 200 continues atstep 220 where the table manager 180 performs history-based/statisticalcomparisons. History-based comparisons can be made to track individualplayer performance (i.e., amount of winning and losing bets) and gaminghabits (types of wagers and when made), and actions by the dealer.Alternatively, the history-based comparisons maybe performed by thegames management system 175, tracker 185 or server 190. Thesecomparisons can determine if there have been several minor anomalies,that when tallied amount to a much larger/major anomaly. Almost any timeof comparisons can be made at this time. If the table manager 180determines from the comparisons that there was at least one anomaly,then the process 200 continues at step 240 for anomaly processing(described below). If the table manager 180 determines from thecomparisons that there is no anomaly, then the process 200 continues atstep 202 to prepare for and initiate a new round of the game.

If the table manager 180 determines from the various real timecomparisons that there was an anomaly at either steps 210 (in-gameanomaly), 218 (post-game anomaly) or 222 (history-based anomaly), thenthe process 200 continues at step 240, where the anomaly is processed.At step 240, the table manager 180 determines the priority index for theanomaly. Sample indexes which may be used to assign priorities areillustrated above with respect to table I, above. At step 242, the tablemanager 180 generates an alert based on the anomaly and the priorityindex of the anomaly. The alert is then output to the central server 190for appropriate dispersal throughout the network 101 (as describedabove). In a preferred embodiment, particularly one in which historicalinformation is tracked and historical anomalies are to be reported, thetable manager 180 may output the alerts to the games management system175 in addition to, or instead of, outputting the alerts to the centralserver 190.

Once the alerts are output, the table manager 180 determines if itshould be the end of the round (e.g., if the anomaly was a level 5anomaly, the game should be stopped regardless of the state of thegame). The table manager 180 can use the game state information to allowthe game to continue from the point at which the anomaly was detected,assuming the anomaly has a low-level priority index. However, the tablemanager 180 can determine that the game should be terminated (i.e., theanomaly has a high-level priority index). If it is determined that thegame should continue, the process 200 continues at step 206. Otherwise,the process 200 continues at step 202 to prepare for and initiate a newround of the game.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of system 300 that is suitable foruse with a blackjack casino table 310. Components of the system 300,which are the same or substantially similar to components within system100 (FIG. 4) are labeled with the same reference numbers. Similar tosystem 100, system 300 contains many components designed to capturevarious forms of information about the game being played at the table310 (e.g., blackjack), the players playing the game, wager amounts andpayouts, and the dealer responsible for the game. As is described belowin more detail, the information is captured, processed and acted upon(e.g., generation of alerts) in real time. This system is necessarilymore complex as a variety of actions can be taken by players to play thegame. The game also requires the player to make strategic decisions thatcan be unpredictable. It is therefore advantageous to use monitoringequipment to track this type of game in particular.

In system 300, the blackjack table 310 is equipped with a card shoe 312providing card rank and suit recognition capabilities. That is, the shoe312 contains optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities todetermine the rank and suit of each card dealt from the shoe. In oneembodiment, the shoe 312 will be equipped with a button and isprogrammed to display on a display screen on the shoe 312 the rank andsuit of the last card drawn from the shoe 312. In another embodiment,the shoe 312 is programmed to receive communications (via optionalcommunication medium 313 a) from a table manager 380. One suchcommunication includes the detection that the dealer has dealt atwenty-one to the dealer hand (i.e., an alert that the dealer has ablackjack). One exemplary shoe 312 contains a display for displaying thealert and/or a sound system for generating an audible dealer blackjackalert. Suitable shoes, and means for operating the shoes, having thebutton and/or alert notification mechanism and two way communicationswith a table manager 380 are disclosed in co-pending application serialno. (reference PA1735.AP.us), filed on the same date as the presentapplication. The shoe 312 is suitable for use in implementing a no-peekblackjack determination that prevents a player from seeing the dealer'shole card.

The card shoe 312 is in communication with the system table manager 380(described in more detail below), and transmits the card shoeinformation over a communication medium 313 to the system table manager380, which inputs and processes the card shoe 312 information todetermine if there have been any anomalies during a round of the game(described below in more detail). The game rules may reside in the videointerface 370 and the table manager 380 uses data from both sources todetect anomalies. The data transmission mediums 313, 313 a may bewireless or wired network communications medium. The card shoe 312 mayalso include a display region to provide dealer instruction and gameresults to the dealer. The shoe 312 may also include a dealer interfacesuch that the dealer may reset the shoe 312 and begin a new round ofplay.

Also shown on the table 310 are game chips 130 a in the player wageringareas 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29. In a preferred embodiment of theinvention, RFID tagged chips are used in conjunction with RFIDantennas/transmitters 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367 located withinor underneath the table 310. The RFID antennas/transmitters 361, 362,363, 364, 365, 366, 367 respectively pick up the values of the gamechips using RFID or similar technology and then transmit the chipinformation to the system table manager 380 via a communication medium368. French U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,651,548 and 5,735,742 describe RFID chipsand chip reading systems that may be used as the game chips 130 a andRFID antennas/transmitters 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367. Althoughnot shown, one RFID antenna/transmitter could be located in theinsurance area 15 of the table 310 to obtain the chip values ofinsurance wagers. In another embodiment, multiple individual antennasconnected to medium 368 could be placed in the insurance area 15, andone associated with each player position.

The medium 368 may be a wireless or wired network communication medium.As is described below in more detail, the system table manager 380 willuse the chip information to determine the amounts wagered by the playersbefore and after the round (to see if there has been capping or pinchingof bets) and may also use the chip information to determine if therehave been any payouts anomalies at the end of the round.

The system 300 also includes overhead cameras 44, 46 connected to aceiling 70 of the casino, and at least one other camera 42 eithermounted to or in the vicinity of the table 310. These cameras 42, 44, 46respectively communicate with a video interface 370 over communicationmedia 158, 156, 154 (via video switch or multiplexer 179). The cameras42, 44, 46 may also communicate with a surveillance computer system 150over a communication medium 152 and a plasma screen/monitor 177 (viavideo switch or multiplexer 179) so that the video may be monitored bycasino or security personnel. It should be appreciated that althoughonly one connection to the surveillance computer system 150 from thecameras 42, 44, 46 is shown, video from all of the cameras may be sentto the system 150 if desired. As with the other communication media usedin the system 300, the communication media 152, 154, 156, 158 may bewired, wireless or a combination of wireless and wired connections.

The video interface 370 (e.g., a computer system) is responsible forimage processing and transmission of the items viewed by the cameras 42,44, 46 in real time. In this example, the system is capable of trackingthe progress of play, since the rules of blackjack are stored in itsmemory. Game states such as (1) active table, (2) dealer dealing, (3)place wagers, (4) close wagers, (5) take hits, (6) double down, (7)insurance, (8) dealer blackjack, (9) player blackjack, (10) player bust,and the like are monitored. Dealt card values, wagers and other tableactivity can be imaged using the cameras 42, 44, 46 and video interface370. The video interface 370 may be implemented in a general purposecomputer system, a network server or other processor system as isgenerally known in the art. As an optional feature, a form of opticalchip recognition may also be implemented using the cameras 42, 44, 46and evaluation software in the video interface 370. As such, the videointerface 370 may process chip images and values on the gaming table310. The video interface 370 processes the video images to create tabledata that is sent to the system table manager 380 via communicationmedium 313 b. The medium 313 b may be a wireless or wired networkcommunications medium. The video interface 370 is sophisticated enoughto recognize the rank and suit of playing cards, recognize monetarydenominations, and the relative value of the chips 130 a. It should beappreciated, however, that adding RFID wagering information is desirableand advantageous since video alone could be effected by lighting,shading, player movement, etc. whereas the RFID chip information is notsubject to these effects.

In the illustrated embodiment, the video interface 370 contains gamerules software for tracking the state of the blackjack game. In system100, the video interface 170 did not have this capability, which is onereason why the card shoe 112 contained a game rules module. In theillustrated embodiment, the video interface 370 transmits, viacommunication medium 313 b, the game, table and game state data to thetable manager 380, which evaluates whether there have been any pre, postand in-game anomalies.

As can been seen, the cameras 42, 44, 46 are placed to achieve a fullview of the gaming table surface, and are positioned to give the bestvantage point for the desired application. The cameras 42, 44, 46 can bemounted to the ceiling 70 or on a pole/post adjacent the table 310.Cameras can also be close to the gaming surface, if it is desired toimage chip stacks, for example. An optical or magnetic synchronizingsensor 33 can be used to detect the presence of an object on the gamingsurface of the table 310. The sensor, if used, may activate the cameras42, 44, 46 and trigger image acquisition. Every image is processed andtransmitted to the system table manager 380.

The remainder of the system 300 comprises a network 301 of componentsthat may be at the table or in a back office or other room of thecasino. Part of this network 301 is the video interface 370 describedabove, the other parts of the network include the table manager 380, acentral server 390, and the surveillance system 150. Optional componentsof the network 301 may also include a blackjack tracker 385 and/or agames management system 175 (described above). The components of thenetwork 301 may be connected by wireless and/or wired communicationmedia. The blackjack tracker 385 (as well as the baccarat tracker 185)are capable of generating reports and issuing alerts.

The system table manager 380 may be implemented in a general purposecomputer system, a network server or other processor system as isgenerally known in the art. The table manager 380 will contain computerimplemented processing (i.e., process 200 illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5C anddescribed above) that may be stored on a computer readable medium of thegeneral purpose computer system. As such, the processing and functionsof the table manager 380 may be stored as a computer program on acomputer readable medium, or downloaded from a computer server over anetwork to the general purpose computer. The table manager 380 willreceive the real time card data from the card shoe 312 over thewired/wireless communication medium 313. The table manager 380 willreceive the real time chip data from antennas 361-367 over thewired/wireless communication medium 368. The table manager 380 will alsoreceive the card, chip and game state data from the video interface 370over the network connection between the table manager 380 and videointerface 370.

As is described above with reference to FIGS. 5A-5C, the table manager380 contains deviation analysis software that integrates the variousforms of input data, compiles, interprets and associates the data withknown anomaly references or specific conditions that equate to blackjackgame rule violations. The table manager 380 analyzes and compares thedata to determine whether valid or invalid actions have occurred before,during and after a round of the game, detects and categorizes anyanomalies, and generates alerts. The anomalies can be prioritized.Because some of the data may overlap (e.g., card rank and suit data maybe obtained from the shoe 312 and the video data, chip data may beobtained from the RFID information and the video data), the tablemanager 380 has built-in redundancy. Certain anomalies can only bedetected with redundant systems (i.e., cards dealt v. cards imaged).Redundancy also improves reliability. For example, if one of the sourcesof information is malfunctioning or if it misses a card, chip, etc., thetable manager 380 can still detect anomalies. Alerts are generated anddistributed by the table manager 380 to the central server 390. In oneembodiment, the table manager 380 can send the alerts to the gamesmanagement system 175, if included in the system 300. In anotherembodiment, the alerts are sent to both the central server 390 and thegames management system 175. The table manager 380 operates in realtime, something the prior art security monitoring systems could not do.

In one embodiment, the table manager 380 tags game deviations/anomalieswith one of five sequential priority levels illustrated in Table Idescribed above. The levels are used to determine what type of alert togenerate. The table manager 380 is capable of detecting pinching and/orcapping of bets, card switching, and card reversal, as well asdiscrepancies in the casino table's chip trays (if monitored) and itspayouts of winning bets. In addition, the table manager 380 contains aplurality of rules-based anomalies, which must also be monitored for agame of blackjack. The table manager 380 would operate process 200(described above with reference to FIGS. 5A-5C) to monitor all possibleanomalies.

It should be noted that the process 200 would input game data, chipimage data (if desired) and game state data from the video interface 370and would only receive card data from the card shoe 312. In addition,the process 200 could output an alert to the card shoe 312. In addition,the process 200 performs the same pre, post and in-game monitoring stepsto determine bet capping and pinching, card reversal and card switchingand payout determinations. In addition, in-game and post-game monitoringsteps (i.e., steps 206-210 and 214-218) would make additionalcomparisons designed to see if there have been any rules-based anomalies(shown below in Table II). A complete description of a process 200 forblackjack has been omitted for convenience purposes.

Table II below, lists exemplary blackjack rules-based anomalies that aremonitored by the table manager 380. The monitoring of and/or theresponses to some anomalies in Table II may be set through systemconfiguration options by casino personnel using a user interface to thetable manager 380 (not shown). All of these anomalies, as well asothers, may be assigned to any one of the levels illustrated in Table I(described above). In a desired embodiment, the casino personnel can setthe priority levels for all of the anomalies through the user interfaceto the table manager 380 or through a connection to the network 301(e.g., system 150).

TABLE II Blackjack Rules-based Anomalies Category Anomaly/ResponseCorrect initial deal For all wager locations with a wager placed beforestart of the round, all players receive one face up card, from dealer'sleft to dealer's right. Correct initial deal Dealer gets one face downcard after all wagered positions get a face up card, but before a secondcard is dealt to a player. Correct initial deal For all betting spotswith a wager placed before start of round, all players receive a secondface up card after the dealer receives a face down card. If cards aredealt out of order, generate an alert. Correct initial deal Dealer getsa second face down card after all wagered positions get a 2nd face upcard, but before any player receives an additional card, or any wagersare paid. Dealer flips face up the first card received, and places facedown the second card under the first card. Dealer has 21 Two cardstotaling 21 are face up in dealer's card region. No additional cards aredealt to dealer or any wagered positions. Insurance If an insurance betis paid, and the dealer shows anything but 2 cards totaling 21, generatean alert. Insurance If an insurance bet is collected, and the dealershows exactly 2 cards totaling 21, generate an alert. Player reneges onIf a pair is split, and a second wager placed, but BEFORE an additionalsplit or double down card is dealt to the table and the second betremoved, if the pair is reassembled, NO ALERT. If a second wager isplaced, appearing to be a double-down, but BEFORE an additional card isdealt to the table, and the second bet removed, NO ALERT. If for eithercondition the second bet is removed, after a card has been delivered, orthe cards are reconfigured into one hand, generate an alert. Playersplit, or resplit A pair of cards with the same rank ONLY can be splitor resplit. A corresponding additional bet must be seen to correspond tothat split. If a split occurs that does not meet these conditions,generate an alert. Player double (or Any hand that receives anadditional chip stack, and a card more than double after split) 45degrees off-center to the rest of the hand is a double. If an additionalchip stack appears for a hand, but the card if not laid down as adouble, generate an alert. If a card is laid down as a double, but noadditional chip stack exists, generate an alert. Player double If adouble down condition is ascertained, and two or more hit cards afterthe double are detected, generate an alert. Player Blackjack For playersshowing a 21 total on two cards, and system configuration option set toallow pay-outs out of normal pay out of rotation, allow pay out. Ifoption is NOT selected, and a player is paid before dealer cards areshown, generate an alert. Busted hand If a hand is removed from thetable that totals 21 or less before the dealer's cards are both face up,generate an alert. Busted hand If a hand totaling 22 or greater and betis left on the table after both dealer's cards are face up, OR ifanother player receives a card, generate an alert. Dealer hit rulesAllow configuration option for dealer hit rules to specify on what total(or higher) a dealer should stand, and if the dealer should hit on a“soft” of that total (i.e., soft 17). If dealer fails to hit when heshould, or fails to stand when he should, generate an alert. Dealer has21 If a dealer dealt a card to any player, and a 21 on exactly 2 cardsis exposed when the dealer flips his hold card, generate an alert.Dealer hole card If a dealer fails to show at least 2 cards face up inthe dealer area of the table after player cards are exposed, generate analert.

The central server 390 is connected to the table manager 180. Thecentral server 390 may be implemented in a general purpose computersystem, a network server or other processor system as is generally knownin the art. Although shown as separate components, in one embodiment,the table manager 380 is implemented as an application on the centralserver 390. That is, the functions of the table manager 380 and thecentral server 390 may reside in one piece of hardware (e.g., a serveror computer system). The central server 390 is responsible fordistributing the prioritized alerts throughout the network 301 andoutside the network (if desired) over wired or wireless communicationspath 392. The alerts are routed to various data sinks based on the alertpriority. The higher the priority, the greater number of data sinks thealert information is routed to. Alert transmissions may be routeddirectly to the table 310 (via communications path 392 to a device atthe table or on the dealer), across the network 301 to remote viewingstations (e.g., system 150), databases, and any wired/wirelesscommunication device that communicates with the network 301.

In one embodiment, the shoe 312 contains a display, speaker or otheralert notification device. An optional communication path 313 a from thetable manager 380 to the shoe is used to transmit an alert to the tablevia the shoe 312. In one embodiment, the alert information can beprojected onto one or more plasma televisions/monitors/screens 177 usedto view image data from the cameras 42, 44, 46 and the video interface370. The central server 390 stores relevant gaming information (bothreal time and historical information). The central server 390 may alsoprocess alert information received from the table manager 380 if needed.The central server 390 can generate its own alerts and can email orotherwise transmit any relevant information or reports usingcommunications path 392 or any connection to the network 301. Thecentral server 390 may generate and distribute reports based on theinformation received from the table manager 380.

In a preferred embodiment, the central server 390 may interface with anddrive the blackjack tracker 385. The blackjack tracker 385 is astatistical-based system that sequences through a live game of blackjack(based on the data received from the central server 390) to processactions taken during the round and over numerous rounds. The tracker 385is capable of compiling the data that can only be obtained by collectinggame play information over a time period. One such anomaly that may bedetected is card counting, which is of particular concern to a casinoadministering a game of blackjack. The blackjack tracker 385 may beimplemented as part of the central server 390, thus alleviating the needfor an additional server/computer system dedicated solely to theblackjack tracking functions.

In another embodiment, alerts are dispatched to the games managementsystem 175 (described above). The system management system 175 includesan intelligent alert package, which alerts pit personnel andsurveillance teams using a color coded or numerical-based alert systemcorresponding to alert priority levels. The system management system 175may also dispatch the alerts across the network 301 to remote viewingstations (e.g., system 150), databases, and any wired/wirelesscommunication device that communicates with the network 301. Playerprofiling is also included in the system management system 175 so thatspecific player bet attributes may be recorded and tracked. The gamessystem management system 175 allows pit personnel more time to do theirjobs without being tied to a cumbersome data entry system.

In a desired embodiment, the baccarat tracker 185 may be the Bloodhound™software product designed to monitor a game of baccarat provided byShuffle Master, Inc. Likewise, in another desired embodiment, theblackjack tracker 385 may be the Bloodhound™ software product designedto monitor a game of blackjack also provided by Shuffle Master, Inc. TheBloodhound™ products provide real-time and post-game session analysis ofgame state, game data, player decisions and game outcome to e.g.,determine a gambler's playing habits. For example, the baccarat tracker185 implementing the Bloodhound™ for baccarat product can determine ifthe player is placing large bets only during hands that are favorable tothe player (i.e., first card cheating). For example, the blackjacktracker 385 implementing the Bloodhound™ for blackjack product candetermine if the player is counting cards or otherwise placing largebets with knowledge of the dealer's hold card.

Although the embodiments of the invention have been described withreference to a games of baccarat and blackjack, it should be appreciatedthat they may be applicable to other casino communal or non-communalgames. That is, the systems 100, 300 and process 200 may be modified tomonitor a game of mini-baccarat, or other card games. Games with sidebets and large payout odds or progressive payouts would benefit from amonitoring system of the invention. Modifications to the rules and gameevents in the game rules module in the shoe 112 (if used) and theprocessing of the table managers 180, 380 would be required to implementthe different types of card games. The systems 100, 300 and process 200could also be used for dice games (e.g., craps) and roulette, ifdesired.

Other embodiments of the present invention include one or more of thecomponents described above in different combinations. For example, asystem could be configured to process the output of the camera imagersand video interface as well as output from a dealing shoe or cardshuffler capable of determining the rank and suit of dispensed cards.The information may be processed in a manner to correlate the data forsubsequent storage and data analysis. An example of a suitable cardshuffler that is capable of reading the rank and/or suit of cards anddispensing cards into a card game is included in co-pending applicationSer. No. 11/481,407, filed Jul. 5, 2006. The processor may optionallyperform a variety of functions including detecting anomalies and issuingalerts.

The camera imagers and video interface could be combined with wagersensing equipment on the table. Data from the video interface and wagersensing equipment may be inputted into a processor and correlated forstorage and data analysis. The processor in this instance may alsoperform a variety of functions, including detecting anomalies andissuing alerts.

In some examples of the invention, a card reading shoe and or shuffleris the only device in the system that collects and outputs cardinformation. This information may be combined with wager sensingequipment, such as RFID chips and antennas and inputted into aprocessor, for correlation, storage and data analysis. The processor mayoptionally detect anomalies and issue alerts.

It might be desirable to provide redundant data collection functions andcollect the information in a processor capable of correlating the data.For example, a desirable system might include camera imagers, a videointerface, a card-reading device such as a card shoe or a shuffler, andalso wager sensing equipment. The processor may optionally be configuredto detect anomalies and issue alerts.

When the processor is configured to detect anomalies and issue alerts,it is desirable to provide a game rule module. This module may residewithin one or more of the data acquisition devices, may reside withinthe same computer as the video interface or may be located at a distalcomputer. It is important to note that some of the anomaly detectionsare not possible without a game module to monitor game state and theprogress of the game.

When a game module is part of the system, the module preferably resideswithin the card handling device for a baccarat system, and within thevideo interface for a blackjack system. In other forms of the invention,the game module resides within the table manager, or in a distalcomputer.

For embodiments that include provide the anomaly detection and alertfunctionality, the systems would include a game rules module and a tablemanager in combination with one or more of the following: (1) a cardhandling device with card reading capability; (2) wager sensingequipment; (3) a camera imaging system with video interface; (4) one ormore proximity detectors; and (5) other data acquisition devices, suchas player identification i.d. card swipe, dealer i.d. card swipe, playertracking equipment, bet present sensors, and the like.

While the embodiments of the invention have been described in detail inconnection with preferred embodiments known at the time, it should bereadily understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate anynumber of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalentarrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate withthe spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is notlimited by the foregoing description or drawings, but is only limited bythe scope of the appended claims.

1. A casino game table monitoring system comprising: at least one videocamera for outputting images of objects at the table; a video interfacefor inputting the images from the at least one camera and processing theimages into first game data; a game device comprising a rules module totrack game states, said game device outputting game state data andsecond game data; at least one monetary sensing system for obtaining andoutputting monetary information at positions at the table; and a tablemanager unit for inputting the first and second game data, the gamestate data and the monetary information, said table manager unitdetermining if there have been any game anomalies based on the inputdata and monetary information.
 2. The monitoring system of claim 1,wherein said table manager unit generates an alert based on thedetermined anomaly.
 3. The monitoring system of claim 2, furthercomprising a server connected to receive the game state data, first andsecond game data, monetary information and alert from the table managerunit, said server outputting the alert to at least one surveillancedevice based on the priority of the alert.
 4. The monitoring system ofclaim 3, wherein the game is baccarat and the server outputs the alertto a baccarat tracker unit, which tracks results of the game over aperiod of time.
 5. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the serveroutputs the alert to a wireless device over a wireless communicationmedium.
 6. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the server outputsthe alert to a game management system that alerts casino personnel ofthe anomaly.
 7. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the serveroutputs the alert over a network to a plurality of data sinks.
 8. Themonitoring system of claim 3, wherein the server stores the first andsecond game data, monetary information and alert for further processing.9. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the game is baccarat, thegame device is a card shoe, and the second game data corresponds to arank and suit of cards dealt from the shoe.
 10. The monitoring system ofclaim 9, wherein the first game data comprises data corresponding to arank and suit of cards on the table and monetary data corresponding tochips wagered at the table.
 11. The monitoring system of claim 10,wherein the monetary sensing system comprises: a plurality of game chipshaving RFID information corresponding to a monetary value of each chip;and at least one antenna corresponding to each player position forreceiving the RFID information and transmitting the information to thetable manager unit.
 12. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein saidtable manager unit comprises a priority system for detected anomalies.13. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein said table manager unitperforms a statistical analysis of the input first and second game data,game state data and the monetary information.
 14. The monitoring systemof claim 1, wherein said table manager unit determines wins and lossesbased on the input first and second game data, game state data and themonetary information.
 15. A casino game data collection systemcomprising: at least one video camera, said at least one camera adaptedto output images of objects at the table; a video interface adapted toinput the images from the at least one camera and process the imagesinto game data; at least one monetary sensing system adapted to obtainand output monetary data corresponding to game chips at a plurality ofpositions at the table; and a processor unit, said processor unitadapted to input the game data and the monetary data, said unit beingfurther adapted to correlate the game data and monetary data.
 16. Thecollection system of claim 15, wherein the input game data comprisesdata corresponding to a rank and suit of cards on the table.
 17. Thecollection system of claim 16, wherein the input game data furthercomprises monetary data corresponding to images of chips wagered at thetable.
 18. The collection system of claim 15, wherein the input gamedata can be used to determine game state information.
 19. The collectionsystem of claim 15, wherein the processor unit is further adapted todetermine if there have been any game anomalies based on the correlateddata and to associate an anomaly with a priority level.
 20. Thecollection system of claim 19, wherein the anomalies correspond to oneof card switching, card reversal, capping of bets and pinching of bets.21. The collection system of claim 20, wherein the game is baccarat. 22.The collection system of claim 20, wherein the game is blackjack and theanomalies further correspond to one of improperly dealt cards, improperinsurance wagering, improper splitting of cards, and improper doubledown wagering and card dealing.
 23. A casino game data collection systemcomprising: a game device comprising a rules module to track game statesduring a game based on cards dealt from the device, said game deviceoutputting game state data and game data; at least one monetary sensingsystem for obtaining and outputting monetary data corresponding to gamechips located at positions at the table; and a processor unit, saidprocessor unit adapted to input the game data, game state data and themonetary data, said unit being further adapted to correlate the gamedata, game state data and monetary data.
 24. The collection system ofclaim 23, wherein the input game data comprises data corresponding to arank and suit of cards dealt from the gaming device and the game stateinformation corresponds to a state of a baccarat game as determined bythe cards dealt from the device.
 25. The collection system of claim 23,wherein the monetary data corresponds to chips wagered and paid out atthe table.
 26. The collection system of claim 23, wherein the processorunit is further adapted to determine if there have been any gameanomalies based on the correlated data and to associate an anomaly witha priority level.
 27. The collection system of claim 26, wherein theanomalies comprise one of invalid actions taken during the game, cappingof bets and pinching of bets.
 28. A casino game data collection systemcomprising: at least one video camera, said at least one camera adaptedto output images of objects at the table; a video interface adapted toinput the images from the at least one camera and process the imagesinto first game data; a game device comprising a rules module to trackgame states during a game based on cards dealt from the device, saidgame device outputting game state data and second game data; and aprocessor unit, said processor unit adapted to input the first andsecond game data, and the game state data, said unit being furtheradapted to correlate the first and second game data and game state datato detect game anomalies.
 29. The collection system of claim 28, whereinthe second game data comprises data corresponding to a rank and suit ofcards dealt from the gaming device and the first game data comprisesdata corresponding to images of the cards.
 30. The collection system ofclaim 28, wherein the game state information corresponds to a state of abaccarat game as determined by the cards dealt from the device.
 31. Thecollection system of claim 28, wherein the processor unit is furtheradapted to determine if there has been a card switching anomaly from thefirst and second game data.
 32. A casino game anomaly detection systemcomprising: means for inputting first game data corresponding to videoimages of objects at a gaming table; means for inputting second gamedata and game state information from a gaming device; means forinputting monetary data corresponding to chips located at differentpositions at the table; means for correlating the first and second gamedata, game state data and the monetary data; means for determining ifthere have been any game anomalies based on the correlated data; andmeans for associating an anomaly with a priority level and generating analert based on the anomaly and priority level.
 33. The system of claim32, wherein the means for inputting first game data comprises means forinputting data corresponding to a rank and suit of cards on the tableand monetary data corresponding to chips wagered at the table.
 34. Thesystem of claim 33, wherein the means for inputting second game datacomprises means for inputting data corresponding to the rank and suit ofthe cards as the cards were dealt from the gaming device and the gamestate information corresponds to a state of a baccarat game asdetermined by the cards dealt from the device.
 35. The system of claim32, wherein the means for inputting monetary data inputs datacorresponding to chips wagered and paid out at the table.
 36. The systemof claim 32, wherein alerts can be generated for one of invalid gameplay actions, card switching, card reversal, capping of bets andpinching of bets.
 37. A casino game anomaly detection system comprising:means for inputting first game data and game state informationcorresponding to video images of objects at a gaming table; means forinputting second game data from a gaming device; means for inputtingmonetary data corresponding to chips located at different positions atthe table; means for correlating the first and second game data, gamestate data and the monetary data; means for determining if there havebeen any game anomalies based on the correlated data; and means forassociating an anomaly with a priority level and generating an alertbased on the anomaly and priority level.
 38. The system of claim 37,wherein the input first game data comprises data corresponding to a rankand suit of cards on the table and monetary data corresponding to chipswagered at the table.
 39. The system of claim 37, wherein the inputsecond game data comprises data corresponding to the rank and suit ofthe cards as the cards were dealt from the gaming device.
 40. The systemof claim 37, wherein alerts can be generated for one of invalid gameplay actions, card switching, card reversal, capping of bets andpinching of bets.
 41. The system of claim 40, wherein the game isblackjack and the invalid game actions comprise improperly dealt cards,improper insurance wagering, improper splitting of cards, and improperdouble down wagering and card dealing.
 42. A casino game tablemonitoring system comprising: at least one video camera for outputtingimages of objects at the table; a video interface for inputting theimages from the at least one camera and processing the images into firstgame data and game state data; a game device outputting second gamedata; at least one monetary sensing system for obtaining and outputtingmonetary information at positions at the table; and a table manager unitfor inputting the first and second game data, the game state data andthe monetary information, said table manager unit determining if therehave been any game anomalies based on the input data and monetaryinformation and if there has been an anomaly, associating the anomalywith a priority level and generating an alert based on the anomaly andpriority level.
 43. The monitoring system of claim 42, furthercomprising a server connected to receive the game state data, first andsecond game data, monetary information and alert from the table managerunit, said server outputting the alert to at least one surveillancedevice based on the priority of the alert.
 44. The monitoring system ofclaim 43, wherein the game is blackjack and the server outputs the alertto a blackjack tracker unit, which tracks results of the game over aperiod of time.
 45. The monitoring system of claim 43, wherein the gameis blackjack, the gaming device is a card shoe with an alertnotification device, and the server outputs the alert to the card shoe.46. The monitoring system of claim 43, wherein the server outputs thealert to a game management system that alerts casino personnel of theanomaly.
 47. A casino game table monitoring system comprising: at leastone data acquisition device proximate a gaming table capable ofgenerating an output signal corresponding to a game event; a gamemodule, the module receiving data from at least one data acquisitiondevice and generating at least game state data; and a table managercapable of receiving at least the game state data and detectinganomalies in game play.
 48. The casino game table monitoring system ofclaim 47, wherein the data acquisition device is selected from the groupconsisting of: a card reader, a card reading shoe, a card readingshuffler, a monetary sensing system, a RFID antenna and chip system, acamera imaging system, a proximity detector, and a magnetic detectiondevice.
 49. The casino game table monitoring system of claim 48, whereinat least one data acquisition device is a camera imaging system, andfurther comprising a video interface for receiving output from thecamera imagers and processing the images into first game data.
 50. Thecasino table game monitoring system of claim 49, wherein the videointerface and the game module resides on a computer.
 51. The casinotable game monitoring system of claim 48, wherein at least one dataacquisition device is a card reading shoe, the shoe having an internalprocessor, wherein the game module resides on the internal processor.52. The casino table game monitoring system of claim 48, wherein atleast one data acquisition device is a monetary sensing system.
 53. Thecasino table game monitoring system of claim 48, wherein at least onedata acquisition device is a card reading shoe, the shoe having aninternal processor, wherein the game module resides outside of theinternal processor.
 54. The casino table game monitoring system of claim47, wherein alert signals are generated in response to the detection ofan anomaly.
 55. The casino table game monitoring system of claim 54,wherein the table manager is programmed to issue multiple levels ofalert signal.
 56. The casino table game monitoring system of claim 54,wherein alert signals are routed to at least one external data sink. 57.The casino table game monitoring system of claim 47, wherein the gamemodule is programmed to determine the state of a game selected from thegroup consisting of blackjack and baccarat.